MARION -- Joey Metropoulos hit two home runs and Andrew Sweet drove in the eventual winning run with a clutch pinch-hitting appearance Friday night as the Southern Illinois Miners defeated the Evansville Otters, 6-5, in front of 6,122 fans at Rent One Park.

Here is an extensive, exclusive gallery of photos from Friday's game taken by sportswriters Andrew Manzo and Justin Walker.  More details on the game will be posted here later.

The Miners and Otters play again Saturday and Sunday night, with start times of 7:05 p.m. and fireworks planned to follow both games.

CARBONDALE — If there is such a thing as hitting rock bottom, Marion's American Legion Post 147 baseball team accomplished exactly that Thursday evening.

Carbondale Post 514, which has served as the door mat in the 25th District this summer, used a pair of five-run innings en route to a surprising 13-5 win over Marion at the SuperBlock.

CRESTWOOD — Ross Stout came out the victor in a battle of two of the Frontier League's top pitchers Thursday night as Windy City scratched out an unearned run in the eighth inning to beat the Southern Illinois Miners, 3-2, in the finale of a three-game series at Standard Bank Stadium.

MARION — The roller-coaster ride that is Marion's American Legion Post 147 baseball team this summer took another nose-dive Wednesday evening.

Brandon Hardin fired a four-hitter with seven strikeouts and was backed by an eight-run outburst in the fourth inning as Murphysboro Post 127 rolled to a 10-0 mercy-rule victory in five innings at Ray Fosse Park.

CRESTWOOD — On a somewhat chilly Wednesday night in suburban Chicagoland, the Southern Illinois Miners' offense caught fire and roasted the Windy City ThunderBolts, 13-5, in a battle of Frontier League rivals at Standard Bank Stadium.

SPARTA — Just when Marion’s American Legion Post 147 baseball team needed a pick me up, Nick Andros delivered one Tuesday evening.

In his debut on the hill, Andros pitched six strong innings and was backed by homers from Andrew Rowe and Casey Rautenstrauch as Marion pulled away from Sparta, 8-5, in their 25th District clash.

CRESTWOOD — Chris Wiman ran into trouble in the ninth inning but struck out pinch-hitter Damian Walcott with the bases loaded to preserve the Southern Illinois Miners' 6-5 win over the Windy City ThunderBolts at Standard Bank Stadium on Tuesday.

CARTERVILLE — Two days after coming home from the Gator Classic winning two of three games, Marion’s American Legion Post 147 baseball team appeared slow and sluggish Monday evening.

While Metropolis Post 306 flirted with disaster in the last two innings, it was able to capitalize on Marion’s lackluster performance and escape with a 7-5 non-district victory at John A. Logan College.

O'FALLON, Mo. — Joey Metropoulos launched a grand slam and drove in five runs and Tony Roth added a two-run homer to help newcomer Ryan Mitchell to his first win as the Southern Illinois Miners breezed past the River City Rascals, 8-3, Monday night at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in the rubber game of a key Frontier League West Division series.

O'FALLON, Mo. — Ryan Bird improved to 6-0 on the season in leading the Southern Illinois Miners to a 9-4 win over River City on Saturday at T.R. Hughes Ballpark.

The righthander won his 17th straight Frontier League decision by scattering six hits and striking out seven with one walk over 7 2-3 innings. He did give up four earned runs, however, as his ERA jumped from 0.99 to 1.63, although two of the runs crossed the plate after he left the game.

River City, which leads the league's West Division standings, held off a late Miners rally Sunday night to win the series' middle game, 4-3, and set up a rubber game Monday night.

TRENTON — For the second consecutive year, Marion’s American Legion Post 147 baseball team won two of three games at the Gator Classic.

Once again, however, Post 147 did not win its pool nor did it earn the wild card to advance to the championship semifinals for a chance to win the tournament title over the weekend.

Marion began the tournament with a 6-1 victory against 25th District foe Pinckneyville Friday night before splitting a pair of games Saturday with an 8-0 loss to nemesis Belleville and a 3-1 win over New Baden.

MARION — When Brad Miller went down swinging for the second out of the eighth inning Thursday, the Southern Illinois Miners' designated hitter thought his night was over with his squad trailing by a run.

Thanks to a ninth-inning rally, however, Miller's spot in the batting order came up with two runners on base, including the winning run at third, against Rockford closer John Muller.

Miller completed the comeback with his third hit of the game, ripping a walkoff RBI single to left field as the Miners scored two runs in the ninth to pull out a thrilling 3-2 victory against Rockford in front of 4,263 fans at Rent One Park.

MARION — Andrew Dunn is not quite sure how it happened, but he's glad it did.

Dunn, who threw off pitching mounds at Marion High School, John A. Logan College and Southern Illinois University over the past half-decade, was contacted by the Milwaukee Brewers organization Wednesday night.

MARION — While the Southern Illinois Miners have had their issues when turning the game over to the bullpen lately, there was no such problem Wednesday night.

Unfortunately, Tony Bradley endured his second straight troublesome start and never made it out of the third inning despite four relievers pitching 6 2-3 shutout innings during the Miners' 7-3 series-opening loss to Rockford at Rent One Park.

MARION — The Southern Illinois Miners sold the contract of shortstop Gered Mochizuki to the New York Mets organization Wednesday evening.

Mochizuki will report to the Mets Appalachian League affiliate in Kingsport, Tenn., later this week.